The Islamic State overtakes Syrian Air Force base, captures fighter jets and more
08-25-2014, 09:15 PM
"The seizure of the airfield has attracted more than the usual amount of attention because it was an operational Syrian air force base, and the Islamic State guys were supposedly able to seize SA-16 MANPADS (man-portable surface-to-air defense systems), Mig-21 combat aircraft, and K-13 air-to-air missiles (a Russian knock off of the widely used American Sidewinder missile).
The seizure of this particular equipment has created something of a stir. If nothing else, it means that there's now some pretty concrete evidence to suggest that the Islamic State has actual surface-to-air missiles and can shoot down enemy jets. Estimates haven't yet emerged about how many missiles they might have captured, but even a few of them can have a dramatic impact — imagine the effect of Islamic State militants shooting down a US jet over Iraq, followed by the subsequent capture and beheading of the pilot."
https://news.vice.com/article/islamic-st...force-base
Imagining the U.S. continues bombing ISIS, and they manage to take down a fighter jet.
Odds that we can avoid getting involved in a ground war with them?
The seizure of this particular equipment has created something of a stir. If nothing else, it means that there's now some pretty concrete evidence to suggest that the Islamic State has actual surface-to-air missiles and can shoot down enemy jets. Estimates haven't yet emerged about how many missiles they might have captured, but even a few of them can have a dramatic impact — imagine the effect of Islamic State militants shooting down a US jet over Iraq, followed by the subsequent capture and beheading of the pilot."
https://news.vice.com/article/islamic-st...force-base
Imagining the U.S. continues bombing ISIS, and they manage to take down a fighter jet.
Odds that we can avoid getting involved in a ground war with them?